| Contacts: | David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 876-9008 |
BLM seeks public comment on natural gas well-development proposal southwest of Rifle
SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on an oil and gas exploration and development proposal on federal lands and minerals six miles southwest of Rifle, Colo.
Williams Production has submitted to BLM the Flatiron Mesa Master Plan of Development, which proposes up to 93 wells from one existing pad on BLM land, one proposed pad on BLM land and two proposed pads on private land beginning in the fall of 2009. The Master Development Plan also details the construction of up to 1.5 miles of new access roads and up to 5.3 miles of pipelines.
The project area covers about 4,000 acres of land already leased for oil and gas development. There is no public access into this area due to access roads crossing gated private land.
The Glenwood Springs Field Office requires operators to submit Master Development Plans so that a broad evaluation of plans and impacts can be completed, and environmental impacts and appropriate measures to mitigate these impacts can be identified.
BLM will prepare an Environmental Assessment on this master plan. Before it completes the EA, BLM wants to hear any specific issues, concerns and comments the public would like to see addressed through the assessment. Comments will be most helpful if received by Nov. 13, 2009.
Written comments and questions should be directed to the Glenwood Springs Field Office at 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652. Electronic comments may be submitted to gsfomail@co.blm.gov.
Copies of the Master Development Plan further detailing the proposed oil and gas development are available for review at the location above. Digital copies of the plan and project map are available at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gsfo/GSFO_MasterPlansOfDevelopment.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2300 River Frontage Road Silt, CO 81652